"With the necessary consents in place by 2019, a second Gatwick runway could be built almost as quickly as a third for Heathrow. BAA, which must sell Gatwick next year, understands this. Though anxious not to depart publicly from government policy, it has quietly been drawing potential buyers' attention to Gatwick's scope for improvement. It is time for Whitehall to show uncharacteristic flexibility. Gatwick is a real alternative to Heathrow expansion."

On the same day, The Telegraph muses on the capacity which will be freed up from removing BAA's stranglehold on London's airports, something which chimes with LondonUnlocked's own Transport Manifesto findings.

Is sanity breaking out before Christmas? Likely not. However, if this is the tone which two establishment papers are going to take in the run up to any decision being made then perhaps we could have a more reasoned debate on the topic - something which would benefit everyone.

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